An 18-year-old Georgia teenager, Sam Andrews, has become an unlikely social media hit by attempting to listen to the entire catalogue of Merzbow, the Japanese noise artist known for his punishingly harsh soundscapes. Since February, Andrews has been vlogging his daily progress through the musician's forbidding discography, with some videos amassing half a million views and even catching the attention of Merzbow himself, real name Masami Akita. The project has struck a chord beyond novelty value, sparking wider discussion about how listeners engage with difficult, demanding music in an era dominated by streaming algorithms and short-form content designed to keep audiences moving quickly from one thing to the next.

Akita has released more than 400 recordings since 1979, ranging from a 10-hour album to collaborations such as the group Flying Testicle, and Andrews tracks his listening on a colour-coded spreadsheet, rating each release on Instagram and Rate Your Music. He rates 1990's Rainbow Electronics his favourite so far, while 1996's Merzbow Loves Emil Beaulieau was his low point, comparing its droning second half to tinnitus. Despite the extreme subject matter, Andrews comes across as an ordinary teenager balancing college applications and a part-time cinema job, and he frames his project as a deliberate stand for "deep listening" and full-album engagement, in contrast to the fragmented, mind-numbing way he sees younger audiences typically consuming noise music online.